When every second counts: MetPro moves into the education sector

A reassuring notice at St Andrew's Primary School, Totteridge (except for the appalling grammar)

*Update 18th December: scroll down

Mrs Angry is sure that all parents in the London Borough of Broken Barnet want to feel confident that their children are at a school which values the safety and security of pupils, staff - and school buildings too. Many educational establishments have installed CCTV systems, of course, and other security measures. All well and good, but one primary school is to be commended for offering even higher standards of protection.

A concerned parent has contacted Mrs Angry to draw her attention to some rather alarming new precautions being adopted by St Andrew's school in Totteridge - located in Totteridge Lane, just next to the Orange Tree pub. St Andrew's is a voluntary aided, Cof E primary school, one of the most desirable in the borough for those who want a good state school, beautfully situated in perhaps the borough's wealthiest residential area, and attended by some of the most privileged children in Barnet.

The governors of this establishment have decided to employ the use of a local security company which, according to the notices it has plastered all around the premises, can offer round the clock 'crime response'. This of course is not so much because of the challenging behaviour of the children, as the risk of, well, I don't know really. Burglary, maybe.

Now I don't know about you, but I might have some doubts about the management, and indeed the ethos of this school, after looking at the new notices that have been installed all over the place, as seen in the photo above, taken this weekend.

'This premises', they proclaim, 'is protected by a HIGH SPEED CRIME RESPONSE FORCE'. This premises is? Really: what kind of a school is this? Listen: Michael Gove is crying at his desk. And at the bottom of the notices you find a stern warning:

'This plaque remains the property of Evolution Emergency Response Ltd'.

Yes: if you are some sort of literary thief intent on nicking examples of criminally bad grammar, or perhaps you are a keen collector of the memorabilia of amusing fantasy pseudo military security companies and have your eyes on this notice (sorry) - plaque: hands off. If you even touch it, CCTV cameras will have you marked, and a crime response team will be on your case. Within seconds, probably. Maybe.

Evolution Emergency Response offer a full range of services, of course. Mmm. According to their website, they can provide keyholding facilities, and management of a crime scene. They can supply GPS records and oh - even CCTV footage. Other less glamorous functions, apparently include, er, putting out bins, and - aha, here is something for their local ward councillor Brian Coleman - 'preventative gritting' when snow is on the way. (Except that Brian has a better service, free from the LBBarnet, of course). Another helpful role might be the offer to reset computers. Discretion guaranteed, we can be sure.

Ah ... but there is the problem, isn't it? And here is the reason Mrs Angry might suggest that the headteacher, and the school governors, and the local authority, and the Church of England, and possibly even the local rozzers, might like to ask a few questions.

Is this company SIA approved? Does it have full insurance? What are the payment arrangements with the company? Is there a contract? Are their employees licensed, even as key holders? Are the directors of the company registered as data processors? Has a risk assessment taken place to fulfil obligations in relation to safeguarding matters?

Because of course this company's name used to be, until a few months ago, MetPro Emergency Response, and readers just might recall that this same company, formerly used for several years by Barnet Council, was revealed by the Barnet bloggers to be operating illegally with unlicensed employees, who had not undergone CRB checks, and that this company had admitted covertly filming Mrs Angry and other residents at a council meeting, and this company's services were therefore disposed of, at last, by the council, whose unsanctioned relationship with this company was criticised by its own audit inquiry in June this year ...

Incidentally Mrs Angry has still not received a response, rapid, emergency or evolved in any way, to her complaint about this, sent to director Mr Noyan Nihat, or to her request for the return of the footage taken and retained in breach of the Data Protection Act. Mr Nihat is a very busy man, of course, as we have been reminded by the Mirror recently:

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/mail-order/

and in 2009 by the Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1229632/The-great-fools-gold-rush-Ads-urging-sell-old-jewellery-cash-glittering-seem.html

Of course it may be that the company has turned over a new leaf, and is now fully compliant with all legal requirements, and perhaps Mrs Angry's footage, and a written apology, is being wrapped up by Mr Nihat in lovely Christmas paper, ready for Santa Claus to drop by later this month. She imagines this is very likely.

If Mrs Angry had children at St Andrew's, however, she would be standing at the school gates on Monday morning, waiting for the headteacher to arrive, armed with a long list of interesting questions. She suspects that some parents may well be doing just that anyway.

*PS

How curious, as we are all feeling nostalgic for the heady days of the MetPro inquiry, and Barnet Council's red face glowering at us over the table of the audit committee, that Mr Mustard should publish this interesting post today:

http://lbbspending.blogspot.com/2011/12/rm-ready-money.html

Do read it: it is most perplexing. It is, however, encouraging to see that, at a time when they are under fire for singlehandedly killing the trade in our town centres with Cllr Coleman's new parking scheme, Barnet Council is prepared to encourage some local businesses with such enthusiasm. Generous to a fault, one might say.

*Update 18th December:

MetPro/Evolution Emergency Response and the interesting Mr Noyan Nihat feature in an article on the award winning financial website 'This is Money.co.uk':

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/experts/article-2075485/TONY-HETHERINGTON-OFT-investigates-mail-order-firms-cash-ultimatums.html

Mr Nihat's marketing company, on behalf of 'Vitamail Debt Recovery', was reported by the recent Mirror article to have been sending elderly people bogus demands for money, due to what Mr Nihat claims is a 'computer fault'. We are told in the new website piece that Vitamail's activities are now the subject of investigation by the Office of Fair Trading.

Mrs Angry notes that the 'Vitamail' company, which is based in the south of France, has been known to the investigative press as early as 2006, as this article in the Guardian reveals:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/sep/30/scamsandfraud.moneysupplement

Et alors: here is a pointless footnote, to excite any latent conspiracy theorists: Mme Angry has just noticed an amusing feature of this story.

The man behind Vitamail is one Jean-Dominique Angeletti.

In 2009, "Au nom de l'ouverture et de la transparence", the Grand Master of the Grande Loge nationale française (GLNF), ie the French masonic movement, published a list of his 'cabinet' members. Well done, that man. We like a bit of overture and transparence here in Broken Barnet too, mon ami, although our local council's Cabinet does not.

Oh, and anyway, one of these masonic Cabinet bigwigs (in France, not Broken Barnet, do try to keep up. Although, yes, we do have them in our Cabinet too. You boys.) was 'Conseiller chargé des affaires intérieures et de l'intendance, M. Jean-Dominique Angeletti (chef d'entreprise)'.

Of course it may be an entirely different Jean-Dominique Angeletti. Or it may not. Does it matter? Not at all. Are you bored, Mrs Angry? Yes I am. Just ignore me.

Malice in (Winter) Wonderland: Mrs Angry goes to Barnet Fayre

Greeting the Mayor: Cllr John Hart, doffing his cap, Brian, Brian's mum, MP Theresa Villiers

A warm smile from Councillor Coleman

Councillor John Hart amusing himself behind Mayor Lisa Rutter.
Poor picture quality due to Mrs Angry laughing too much.

Just fancy that: Mr Coleman's helmet displayed in the Barnet Museum

Well, as promised, Mrs Angry has just returned from a visit to Barnet Fayre. Not Barnet Fair, the centuries old gypsy horse trading event: Barnet Fayre, the recently invented Tory councillors' vote trading event. This one works by appearing to sponsor local shops and organisations with grants from Boris Johnson, at the same time as killing local shops and organisations with Brian Coleman's new parking scheme.

If you remember, in Barnet Council's recent press release about the winter wonderland, a cheery message from Mayor Boris proclaimed:

"I'm delighted to be able to support the High Barnet Christmas Fayre Parade through my Outer London Fund."

Hmm. Interesting. Mrs Angry only realised today that in fact the Christmas Fayre is not a new event at all. What, therefore, exactly did Boris' money go on? If anything?

The Barnet press release promised other attractions like an ice skating rink, and real reindeer. There may have been a rink somewhere, but Mrs Angry saw no reindeer, either in the High Street, or flying above the Fayre, but then, as someone pointed out, as the name of Barnet's Mayor is Lisa Rutter, it was probably advisable to keep both parties at a safe distance.

Speaking of which, yes, here he is: Councillor Brian Coleman, AM, FRSA, standing alongside his mum, MP Theresa Villiers, and Lisa Rutter.

An icy chill swept through along the High Street and through the winter wonderland of Chipping Barnet: onlookers regarded him with ill disguised hostility and muttered about the parking. 'What an a******e', said a man standing near to Mrs Angry, who laughed to herself, and hid behind a van to sneak some photographs.

Also present, mysteriously, was Mill Hill councillor, retired diplomat and expert linguist John Hart, who was wearing a hi-vi jacket, which was odd, but perhaps he was doing some sort of community service. Councillor Hart's moustache had been freshly waxed, the old devil, and is in fact becoming positively Daliesque in style, just as his political career reaches similarly surreal extremes of notability. Later on, Mrs Angry noticed, the old boy was sitting, feet up, in the lost children's tent. Wonder if anyone bothered to collect him?

The councillors stood in front of the Mayor, Coleman bristling with self importance as usual. With perfect comic timing,- and I promise those one or two readers who may question this point that I am not making this up - the music on the PA system started broadcasting a festive favourite: George Michael singing 'Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ...' for some reason this tickled Councillor Coleman's fancy, and he chortled with sudden amusement. Mrs Angry chortled with sudden amusement too, for reasons she cannot explain, sadly. Poor old George.

After listening to HM the Mayor open the Fayre (she has now created the most marvellously gracious, if not regal air for these occasions, Mrs Angry notes, and clearly adores her role) Mrs Angry slipped away round to the Barnet Museum, still clinging to the wreckage of the Barnet Tories' philistine budget cuts, which have already lost us the Church Farmhouse Museum in Hendon.

Barnet Museum http://www.barnetmuseum.co.uk/ is a real treasure, and in any other borough would be cherished and promoted, rather than held to ransom by our bunch of shameless, grasping, ignorant Tory councillors who have no respect for heritage, history, culture or the arts.

The Church Farmhouse Museum, of course, was ruthlessly discarded because of its property value, a priority target for the asset stripping programme which is in full swing in this borough now.

The main reason that the Barnet Museum is still open is, frankly, because of a degree of uncertainty over the ownership of the lovely Georgian building in which it is housed, and potential difficulties over the legal challenges the closure of the Museum and resale of the property will cause.

The other reason is the determination of the wonderful voluntary staff who run the concern with such dedication: they have presented the council with a Big Society style plan to ensure the survival of the museum - three months later, they are still waiting for the formal assurance of promises given that they will be able to put this plan into effect. No doubt Barnet is still trying to find ways to obstruct the deal so the property can be flogged off.

What a shame that the local Tory councillors and the MP, Theresa Villers, who is, Mrs Angry understands, a member of the body which runs the museum, have done so little to give their support to their campaign for survival.

Councillor Longstaff has showed some vague interest, (he was in the High Street later, and clocked Mrs Angry on the way home, fixing her with an unforgiving glint in his eye, for some reason) but as usual the Tories have simply sat on their hands and failed to offer any real help.

This is a mistake: local residents will be outraged if the museum is shut down, and so they should be. The devastating impact of the parking scheme has alienated every voter with a car in the borough: the effect of another high profile closure would be incendiary in this traditionally conservative area, where middle class residents groups and local societies are so active.

Staff at the museum told Mrs Angry that there will soon be a new attempt by a university research team to locate sites associated with the Battle of Barnet, a pivotal moment in the Wars of the Roses, which took place here in 1471. There is believed to be a large burial pit, somewhere, for example, which if found would be of enormous significance, as so few archaological relics have ever been found. Two small cannon balls were discovered on Hadley Green just a few years ago, and are on display in the museum. If the new survey is successful, and archaelogical evidence is found, this would be very important for the museum, and for Barnet.

Nearly six and a half centuries ago, noted Mrs Angry, as she looked at the museum's displays, the Battle of Barnet ended in confusion, with opposing sides attacking their own allies, and Warwick the kingmaker dead in the bushes, killed by his former supporters in the Yorkist army. Evidently loyalties in the fifteenth century were transferable - and so they are even now, here in Broken Barnet, in the twenty first century, where treachery and infighting among his own ranks may well soon prove to be the undoing of another kingmaker ...

Friday Joke: Richard Cornelius, Tory leader of Barnet Council

From the local Times today:

"TRADERS are outraged after the Leader of the Council said there was nothing he could do about parking issues when confronted by business owners at a North Finchley forum last night.

Councillor Richard Cornelius and highways manager Neil Richards faced an onslaught of criticisms to recent parking changes from traders who claim business has rapidly declined since the change to pay-by-phone was introduced.

Tempers flared when Cllr Cornelius explained: “I’m listening, but I haven’t got any intention to do anything else other than that.”

“I’ve heard you and it’s obviously affected me. I don’t know what I can do. "

Mrs Angry has a suggestion for you, Councillor Cornelius.

Try and remember that you are the leader of Barnet Council. You don't know what to do?

Sack Brian Coleman as Cabinet member for the environment.

Reverse the shambolic parking scheme which has had an immediate and catastrophic effect on the shopping centres of our borough.

And then resign.

A Winter Wonderland in Broken Barnet

Pinch punch, first of the month, and seasons greetings to all readers.

Apologies for the new heading: Mrs Angry had hoped to post a lovely Christmas scene, but her photoshop assistant is not listening to her pleas for help, and is going on her naughty list as a consequence, and she has also had resort to an slightly vulgar alternative. Standards are slipping, here in Broken Barnet. Anyway, this is partly to make up for the Michael Gove picture. (And ladies, isn't it amazing what a man can do with a recycled Sainsbury's carrier bag?)

Mrs Angry is not on Santa's naughty list however: the other day, you know, Christmas shopping at Brent Cross, as she ascended the escalator, Santa came out of his grotto and waved cheerily at her, all the way up to Russell & Bromley. See. Mrs Angry waved back, equally cheerily, much to the embarrassment of Miss Angry. (Miss Angry has just come home from school and confessed that her media studies class have been looking at this blog, and thought her mum was ahem, actually quite cool, and now her media teacher wants to meet her. Uh oh. Miss Angry is now studying A levels at her mother's old school, and within weeks of arriving, rather amusingly, the headteacher, who has been there since the beginning of time, and even used to teach Mrs Angry, unexpectedly announced her retirement, in a desperate effort to avoid another generation of Angry women ...)

Anyway: Santa knows that Mrs Angry may be naughty, but is also nice: and here is a lesson for the councillors and senior management team of the London Borough of Broken Barnet.

But do you know, citizens, not only do Santa, and Eric Pickles, and Councillor John Marshall love Mrs Angry: it seems all the Tory councillors of the London Borough of Broken Barnet have at last succumbed to her powers of persuasion, and indeed, embraced not only her charms, but the delights of the entire Barnet blogosphere.

This morning, small but perfectly formed Councillor Robert Rams has announced a major new change of policy - yes, see I used the word, without permission - in his own blog, an occasional mouthpiece for the model for local government formerly known as easycouncil, futureshape etc. As Mrs Angry exclusively revealed yesterday, One Barnet is rumoured to be undergoing another shapeshifting transformation into, well, something else, something to trick disaffected voters into falling for the old Tory lies next May. And look - a miracle on Oakleigh Road North, just in time for Christmas ... talking about the new Barnet website, Rams tells us:

"We can provide a better, more efficient service for residents by allowing them to access more services online, at their convenience.

But as well as providing a more efficient transactional website, the redevelopment of Barnet Online will allow the council to focus on becoming more open and transparent.

As has been discussed elsewhere, the council receives a large number of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and responding to them takes up a lot of officer time, time that would be better spent on the core activities of their jobs. We can greatly reduce this burden on council time and resources by publishing more council data and making it easier to find.

We may also encourage more residents to actively engage with the council. At the moment, being an armchair auditor requires a dogged determination. There aren’t many people who would want to spend their social hours trolling* through committee papers and expense reports looking for anomalies. (*darling, did you mean trawling? Trolling is something quite different: see my comment on your blog ... I wouldn't say we are dogged though: that's more of a Tory councillor pastime).

By making more information – previous FOI requests, details of allowances and expenses, copies of contract and tender documents, committee minutes and decisions, performance data etc – more freely available we will allow those residents with less free time to find out more about how the council, councillors and council run services are performing ..."

Robert continues:

"Barnet has nothing to hide, so I’m very keen that we make as much information about the council as easy to access as possible and the new website is the ideal vehicle to deliver on this transparent."

Well, this is good news. Mrs Angry wonders if Uncle Eric has given our councillors a bit of a telling off? There is much rejoicing in the Department of Communities and Local Government over the repentance of sinners like Barnet, we are sure. Of course: the track record of this council has been to push the democratic process entirely in the opposite direction of the spirit of localism, and greater accountability, so this apparent new conversion by Barnet is going to require a writhing contortion of Houdini like escapology to achieve, and it will be marvellous entertainment.

Sadly, one suspects that rather than genuine skill and a bravura performance by the Barnet magicians, we will be treated to more smoke and mirrors, and a now you see it, now you don't sleight of hand, where apparent accountabilty disguises the usual cynical, careful political management of information.

But here is more seasonal good news: look at this cheering press release from Barnet Council:

High Barnet to be transformed into a winter wonderland

The Mayor of Barnet will lend her support to local traders this weekend by taking part in the High Barnet Christmas Fayre Parade.

Councillor Lisa Rutter and her escort, husband Mark, will officially open the event on Barnet High Street (opposite Moxon Street) this Sunday (4 December) at 12.20pm.

The Mayor will then board the Carnival Queen’s carriage and lead the parade along the High Street to The Spires Shopping Centre, where she will view a Christmas Market selling a range of gifts, jewellery, wreaths, cards and decorations. A Barnet Farmers’ Market will also be on offer displaying a wide variety of local produce.

This year will also see the return of the highly popular Winter Wonderland. An ice skating rink, fairground attractions, go-karting and even real reindeer will form the Fayre’s centrepiece ...

The programme has been funded by the Mayor of London’s Outer London Fund money of £400,000 which the Chipping Barnet town centre received this summer to give the high street a boost, as well as through business sponsorship.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who set up the Outer London Fund to help rejuvenate and boost London's high streets and town centres said:

"Our local town centres and high streets have a huge part to play in London's future economic growth so I'm delighted to be able to support the High Barnet Christmas Fayre Parade through my Outer London Fund. Lighting up the high street and attracting shoppers from across the borough it will bring a real buzz to the High Street and kicked off what promises to be a 'cracking' Christmas season."

The Worshipful the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Lisa Rutter said:

“During these difficult financial times its important we as a community support our local traders and businesses in any way we can. I’m honoured to be officially opening this year’s Christmas Fayre and urge residents to pay a visit, enjoy the festivities and show their support to our local high streets.”

Isn't that heart warming? As long as you forget about the fact that the Tory councillors of Broken Barnet are killing our town centres with Brian Coleman's new parking scheme, which in a matter of three weeks or so has brought local traders to their knees, already struggling in the recession. Of course the difference here is that Chipping Barnet has a special grant from the Mayor's pre election giveaway fund, a fund, she understands, supported by money borrowed from elsewhere. Oh, and this high street just happens to be home to the most influential Tory councillors, of course, members of the Chipping Barnet Conservative Association ...

Back in the real world: the real world, Brian, one not dependent on handouts from Mayoral candidates, this is what one shopowner here in Finchley has to say, according to the local Times today. His shop is just a stroll down from Coleman's charity flat:

"Bhavesh Patel is one of Barnet’s many shopkeepers who are worried about the future of their stores.

Mr Patel, 30, owns Hallmark Cards in High Road, Finchley, and has lost around 35-40 per cent of trade in the last month.

Blaming the pay-by-phone-system, he said: “I tried to call to register my car and it took me over eight minutes. I have customers complaining about it – older customers don’t have mobile phones and people are going to Brent Cross where there is free parking.

“You would never find parking spaces outside the shops but now there are.”

Drivers can pay using cash at Pay Points in stores across Barnet but there is just one in High Road at Confags newsagents."

There is a local business forum tonight at Trinity Church, North Finchley. Leader Richard Cornelius is due to attend. I would take an armed escort, if I were you, Richard. And the Worshipful Mayor might like to consider the hypocrisy of her position, and that of her Tory colleagues, in claiming to support local traders and businesses with a Boris backed jamboree when their own policies in action are putting every other town centre other than the one in their own back yard in danger of complete economic failure.

If you travel through the wider winter wonderland of Broken Barnet, in fact, you will find a landscape studded not with sparkling Christmas trees or genial snowmen: everywhere you look is Brian Coleman's yuletide offering to retailers: the dark, sinister figures of former parking ticket machines, now covered with shrouds made of black bin liners. These mournful coverings, strangely, intended to be temporary measures, are now torn and flapping forlornly in the wind: for some reason the programme intended to remove the machines, at a cost of £80,000 plus, signed off to one lucky company, has come to a sudden halt. Have the feeble Tory councillors at last rebelled against the tyranny of Brian Coleman, and demanded a reversal of his idiotic plan? Is this part of the long goodbye to One Barnet, along with Robert Rams belated embrace of the joy of transparency in local government?

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat: maybe someone's goose is well and truly cooked ... eh Brian?